XN000022-1975-03-19 — Page 15

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1975

REVIEW OF SCHOOL FEE REMISSIONS URGED

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THE POLICY OF SCHOOL FEE REMISSIONS AT PRIMARY, SECONDARY AND TERTIARY LEVELS SHOULD BE REASSESSED TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT ECONOMIES COULD BE MADE IN THESE DAYS OF FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY, THE HON. JOYCE SYMONS SUGGESTED TODAY.

SPEAKING IN THE BUDGET DEBATE, SHE EMPHASISED THAT THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN FROM POOR HOMES MUST CONTÍNUE TO DE WELL LOOKED AFTER, BUT SHE QUESTIONED THE JUSTIFICATION FOR SUBSIDISING PARENTS WHO COULD WELL AFFORD TO PAY FOR THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION.

+OUR YOUNG FOLK CERTAINLY. DESERVE THE BEST, BUT IT MUST BE THE BEST WE CAN AFFORD IN YEARS OF DOUBTFUL ECONOMIC GROWTH- AND IT IS IN THE HIGHEST INTEREST OF THE YOUNG THAT I URGE CAUTION IN THE WISEST USE OF OUR MONEY TO ENSURE A MEANINGFUL EDUCATION TO THE MANY MORE, BOTH NORMAL AND HANDICAPPED, WE WANT TO PREPARE FOR A RIGHTFUL PLACE IN SOCIETY, SHE SAID.

IF THERE WAS ANY DOUBT THAT THE EDUCATION WHITE PAPER GOULD NOT DE IMPLEMENTED IN 1976, SHE SAID, A SERIOUS DIALOGUE SHOULD BE STARTED NOW TO STRETCH THE DOLLAR” FURTHER IN THE EDUCATION VOTE BY REVIEWING THE POLICY OF THE REMISSION OF FEES AT THE PRIMARY, SECONDARY AND TERTIARY LEVELS, SHE WARNED, HOWEVER, THAT IF THE GOVERNMENT DELAYED INITIAL IMPLEMETATION OF THE WHITE PAPER IN 1976, MOST TEACHERS AND PARENTS WOULD RIGHTLY BE MOST CRITICAL.

MRS. SYMONS STRESSED THAT THERE MUST DE A PRAGMATIC APPROACH TO THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS WHEN EDUCATION IS DEING PLANNED.

PRIMARY EDUCATION, SHE NOTED, WAS PROVIDED FREE FOR ABOUT 700,000 CHILDREN IN GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SCHOOLS AT A TOTAL COST OF ABOUT $572 MILLION A YEAR.

WHAT IS THE JUSTIFICATION FOR ALL THIS MASSIVE EXPENDITURE TO BE FREE, WHEN MANY OF THESE CHILDREN COME FROM HOMES WHERE THERE IS NO FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY? SHE ASKED. NATURALLY THOSE CHILDREN WHO COME FROM NEEDY HOMES MUST NOT BE

DEPRIVED OF AN EDUCATION, BUT IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE SITUATION NEEDS TO BE REASSESSED.+

AT THE SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL, THE RECURRENT COSTS OF GOVERN- MENT SCHOOLS WAS ABOUT $50 MILLION AND OF AIDED SCHOOLS ABOUT $223 MILLION. AT PRESENT FORTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS IN FORMS ONE TO FIVE HAD THEIR FEES REMITTED AND 50 PER CENT OF THOSE IN FORM SIX.

/+SHOULD WE

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